The fact that Jesus came to earth and became our Savior is one of the most important things we can celebrate as Christians. The Christmas holiday is a time for traditions, and above all it’s a special time for the children.
By Daniela Winther – Photos by: BCC
It is the third Sunday of Advent, and at BCC’s local church in Southern Norway they are ready for Sunday School’s annual Christmas party. In the yard at Kalvild Farm in Lillesand, children with cold noses run around while excited parents walk inside and wipe the thin layer of fresh snow off their feet.
For a few weeks now, the assembly hall has been decorated with Christmas trees and Christmas lights both inside and outside, and the Christmas atmosphere is tangible.
Expectant children have prepared plays
Sunday school organizes the annual Christmas party. Children from 2nd-6th grades and their leaders have been preparing for a long time. The youngest can hardly wait to show off everything they have managed to keep secret in recent weeks. With such expectant children, the adults are reminded of Christmas magic of yesteryear.
Sunday school children in action on the stage. Photo: BCC
In opening, Sunday school children perform songs and a new play they have written. The play is simple but accomplished and is about some funny fantasy characters who must learn to listen to their conscience and stop stealing gifts and food for Christmas. Although the characters have to go through a real change process, the moral is clear and everything goes well in the end. The children get full applause from an enthusiastic audience.
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New Sunday school children are welcomed
The Sunday school party continues with a welcome for all the new children who will start Sunday school in 2019. Then the children hear from the Christmas gospel how the little child Jesus was born the first Christmas eve, and what He means to us today. Leader Tomas Nilsen speaks about why we can be so grateful that Jesus came down to earth.
Sunday school in BCC is a place where children get to know Jesus as a friend and savior. They are taught about our faith at their own level. Gatherings are often a mixture of singing, acting, activities, and short messages with a Christian content. The same is true of this Christmas party in Lillesand.
The children follow along, but among the youngest there are some who start to get restless as the minutes tick by. They aren`t exactly disappointed when Tomas Nilsen ends his speech with a pleasant surpise; “Santa Claus might just show up today!” he whispers smilingly.
Santa Claus came with goodie bags for all the children. Photo: BCC
The party continued with Christmas porridge, followed by a Christmas workshop for the children. Photo: BCC
Finally, there was a raffle for some fantastic gingerbread houses that Sunday school had made; a mini version of the old mansion at Kalvild Farm. Photo: BCC
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